Saving Grace
by Padme18
Summary: After the events of Lost City SG1 must save Col. O'Neill before it's to late
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note**: Italics are thoughts, picks up at Lost City 2 and then again at New Order with minor differences.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Stargate or anything else for that matter.

Sam stood in front of the chamber with her hand still on the ice. She couldn't believe what had happened. After all he'd been through Jack couldn't die now. Daniel approached her slowly sensing how she felt.

"Sam, we need to go. We need to get back to the base," he said as he placed a hand on her arm.

"I know. Call Bra'tac, tell him were on our way."

Minutes later they were aboard the cargo ship and heading to the base the _Prometheus_ launched from. From there they preceded to the base. Dr. Weir was waiting for them in the briefing room.

"Welcome home SG-1. Where's Colonel O'Neill?" she asked as they took their usual places around the table.

"Colonel O'Neill has been put in a stasis chamber to sustain his life until we can contact the Asguard," Teal'c answered her.

"Well, how do we do that?"

"I can work on a modified version of the power source the Colonel built to contact them the first time this happened. It may take awhile, but I'm sure I can find a way," Carter told them with confidence. Teal'c and Daniel glanced at her, they could tell from past experience that she would not give up until she succeeded.

"Very well, dismissed."

Weeks later Daniel returned to the base after spending the time researching in the outpost in Antarctica. He immediately went to tell Dr. Weir of his findings. He got up to leave then turned back to her.

"How's Sam doing? Is she any closer to finding out how to make the power source work?"

"No, and no one can get her to go home and rest."

"That sounds like Sam. She never gives up when something like this happens. I'll go see if I can convince her, maybe she'll listen to me." With that he finally left and made his way to her lab.

XXX

Sam glanced around her soundings and saw that she was aboard the _Prometheus_ once again. The sound of a little girl singing _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star _could be heard as she wandered through the halls trying to find out why she was there. She turned a corner and saw a small blond girl standing in front of her.

"Hello again Major Carter."

"Grace, right?" she asked.

"You remember."

"Yes, but you never told me who you are."

"That's because you know." With that the girl turned and ran down the hall.

"Wait!" Sam ran after her and followed her around several turns before she

stopped dead in her tracks. At the end of the hall stood a tall gray-haired man.

"Daddy!" Grace ran up to the man and he picked her up and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Sam couldn't believe her eyes it was Colonel O'Neill.

"Hey kiddo you ready to go?" Jack asked.

"Uh-Huh."

"Honey let's go!" he yelled down an intersecting hall to an unseen woman.

"I'm coming!" Sam heard her own voice answer. Then saw _herself_ walk up to the pair. She watched as Jack kissed the other Sam on the lips.

"Can we go know?" Grace asked in a whining voice. Sam and Jack laughed and then in unison answered her.

"Yes!" Sam watched as the three retreated down the hall. Grace turned her head and looked over her father's shoulder.

"I told you you know me. In your heart." They girl then turned her attention back to her parents. Faintly Sam could here someone calling her name but could not identify the source. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

XXX

Sam's head shot up. She had fallen asleep at her computer and the incident had been a dream. Daniel stood in front of her with a questioning look on his face.

"You all right?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine just a little tired."

"You should go home, get some rest," Daniel said with concern.

"No! I can't, I have to figure this out. I'm so close I know it," Sam replied angrily.

"You love him don't you?"

"What?" Sam was surprised that Daniel would suggest such a thing. After all Jack was her CO.

"Sam, Teal'c and I have watched you two for years. When he was stuck on Edora you did this same thing. Then there is the whole thing about you two lying on your Zatarc tests about your feelings when you were stuck on Apothis's ship."

"How do you know about that?" she asked guardedly.

"Teal'c told me. He said you confessed to liking each other a lot more than you should." Sam put her head down. No one was supposed to know that. She sat there a few minutes before looking back up.

"You should know he loves you. That's what amacuse means."

"I thought you said that it meant goodbye?" she questioned.

"Aveo is goodbye. I just didn't want to say the rest in front of Teal'c. I thought I should tell you in private. This is the first chance I've had." Sam couldn't believe it. What he'd said during their conversation on the _Prometheus_ was true. Even if _he _wasn't really there. Then she suddenly remembered her dream. _Grace was their daughter._

"I never told anyone this, but while I was on the _Prometheus_ I had these visions," Sam got up and began to walk around her lab. "I saw you," she pointed at Daniel as she said this, "Teal'c, my dad, the Colonel, and this little girl called Grace." Sam counted the rest off on her fingers as she reached small coffee pot in one corner of the room. "You all helped me get through it. When I saw the Colonel he said he came to help a friend," she sighed at the memory. " I asked him if that was all we ever going to be able to be. That, what if I gave up the Air Force. He told me that he wouldn't let me do that, that he was a safe bet and would always be there for me."

"And?"

"I responded by saying that as long as I was setting my sites on him, I wouldn't be hurt. Then I had this dream before you came in. I was back on the _Prometheus_ and I saw Grace. She was calling Jack and I..." Sam paused, "mom and dad."

"You think she's your daughter?" Daniel asked not fully understanding her. Sam looked at him. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"I don't know what to think," Sam answered him.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel was about to say something more when they heard a scream from the hall. Sam and Daniel ran to see what it was.

"Cassie!" Daniel said startled. Both he and Sam bent down and picked up the things she had been carrying.

"Are you all right? Pete!" Sam asked then turned to see her boyfriend standing in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"Dr. Weir, I think that's her name, called me. She told me to come."

"Oh." Sam was surprised that the woman had even known about Pete. She turned back to Cassie and motioned both of them into her lab.

"Pete, ah, you remember Dr. Jackson," she waited till he nodded before continuing, "Well, this is Cassandra Fraiser, the daughter of Dr. Frasier the woman who fixed you after the little incident a few months ago. Cassie, this is Pete Shanahan, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you Cassandra. I didn't mean to scare you," Pete held out his hand and the teen shook it.

"It's OK. You just startled me, I can't really see over this box anyway. But is nice to finally meet you," Cassie said. Pete nodded in response.

"I really need to go. I just came to clean out mom's office. I'll see you tonight?" Cassie ended with a question.

"Sure," Sam reluctantly answered since she knew that Pete was probably there to drag her out of the mountain. With that Cassie left.

"I should go to. I'm meeting Sarah for dinner tonight before she goes back home," Daniel said as he turned to leave.

"Why don't you join us for dinner instead?" Pete asked, "We'd love the company, plus it would give me a chance to get to know one of Sam's team mates. How's seven p.m. McMurphy's?"

"Sure," Daniel answered after looking at Sam for approval.

"Daniel, remember what happened last time we went there?" Sam asked.

"Well, yes but that was different."

"What happened?" Pete asked the two with confusion.

"That's need to know," the two answered him.

XXX

Pete and Sam walked into the restaurant and told the hostess that they were meeting someone there. Sam saw Daniel sitting with Sarah and pointed Pete in their direction. When they reached the table Daniel and Sarah stood to welcome them. Pete took one look at Sarah and recognized her as the woman who had shot him when he first started dating Sam.

"Don't worry I won't shoot this time. My name is Sarah Gardener," she said extending her hand.

"Pete Shanahan," the two shook hands for the first time and the group sat down to order.

The dinner seemed to go on without incident. Pete and Sarah seemed to be enjoying the little stories of times when Sam saved the day with one of her crazy plans or some local woman falling for Daniel only for him to return to earth. It wasn't until Daniel mentioned how Sam never gave up when one of the team was missing did things become sour.

"There was this time we were called to the research station in Antarctica when Daniel was Ascended because they found a frozen woman they thought was an ancient," Sam began to tell of their trip. "When she thawed out, it turned out they were right. Only, we all started getting some sort of virus. She was able to heal everyone but Colonel O'Neill before the virus took over her own body."

"What did you do, I mean until recently he was alive?" Pete asked curiously. Sam gave him a look that said, 'what is your problem' before continuing the story.

"We took them back to the SGC where the woman died, much to Jonas's dismay. The Tok'ra offered to give the Colonel a host, but we all knew he would never agree," she said. "I was able to convince him to do it anyway."

"Hmm. Really? _You_ were the one that convinced him?" Pete asked a little agitated.

"Remember when we were on Argos and met the Chosen and Jack began to age? Or how about the time he was trapped on Edora for a hundred days and you wouldn't give up on trying to find a way to save him?" Daniel asked changing the subject.

"Janet kept trying to make me sleep more, but I knew the answer was right there under my nose," Sam answered taking a drink of her diet Coke.

"You felt it necessary not to sleep just because _he_ was stranded on another planet?" Pete asked getting even more agitated at this tale of Sam saving Jack.

"He's my commanding officer Pete. I couldn't just let him die if I knew I could save him," she answered.

"There was also this time when these aliens tried to take over the SGC by putting us in some incubation things and impersonating us with some hologram device," Daniel began trying to get the attention away from Sam saving Jack's life again.

"But because Teal'c and I have Naquadah in our blood they were unable to make the device that allowed them to impersonate us," Sam continued.

"What did you do?" Sarah asked intrigued.

" I was able to escape and get help from Colonel Maybourne of all people," Sam said. "I actually had to shoot their Daniel and Col. O'Neill to convince him I wasn't crazy."

"Jack didn't seem to happy either when you mentioned you shot him." The look on Pete's face was looking more agitated at this.

"What about the time you were addicted to the Sarcophagus because of that princess that wanted to marry you? If I hadn't been able to recall that the Tok'ra don't use one because it takes the good away, we might not have been able to get you back."

"Yeah, I still can't believe I attacked Janet, or how I treated you guys," he said sheepishly.

"The sarcophagus can be highly addictive. I only used it as Osiris a few times, but I can already feel like I want it sometimes," Sarah said in an effort to make him feel better. It was then that the waiter brought their food.

Near the end of the dinner Daniel had just finished telling how Sam had saved Teal'c with Dr. Mckay's minimal help when Pete stood frustrated.

"Enough! I'm sick of this, so I'm just going to ask you. Are you in love with Colonel O'Neill?" he said angrily as he stood.

"What? Where would get an idea like that?" she asked surprised that he would even bring this up, let alone in public. She knew he suspected something, but this wasn't like him.

"Don't play games with me Samantha I heard you and Daniel talking today," he raised his voice even more.

A waiter came over and taped Pete on the shoulder, "Sir, please quite down you're disturbing the other costumers." Pete pushed him off and looked at Sam. He was furious.

"Pete, just calm down I can explain."

"Daniel asked you if you were in love with O'Neill and I want to know the answer!"

Sam stood and looked at him shocked, "You were e_avesdropping outside my lab_? What right do you have to do that?" She couldn't believe that he would ever do such a thing. Of course, he had followed her to Daniel's house, which is what got him shot in the first place.

"I'm a cop it's my job to investigate things. Why do you think I followed you to his house?" he asked as he pointed to Daniel. "I had to call a friend at the FBI to find out what it is you do, except according to them you've been completely scrubbed!"

"What did I ever see in you?"

"You know what, if you're not going to tell me it's over, you can have your precious Colonel O'Neill for all I care!" He slammed down his napkin and left the restaurant. Sam slumped into her chair and sighed. The waiter who had asked Pete to 'quite down' looked at her.

"I'm sorry about that, it won't happen again."

Daniel quickly paid for the dinners, instead of separately like they had agreed. Then the three left quietly. Sam was still in a state of shock when they reached her house. Daniel got out of his car and went to open Sam's door. She just sat there.

"Sam, we're at your house," he said quietly. Sam slipped out and he walked her to the door. "Get some sleep," he whispered and kissed her on the cheek.

Sam opened her door and walked in. Sitting on the couch was Cassie and her boyfriend, Dominic, watching _Star Wars_. When she walked in they stopped the movie. Cassie opened her mouth to speak, but Sam put her hand up to stop her. Then she turned and walked down the hallway to her room and closed the door.

"I should go. I'll call you tomorrow," Dominic said as he headed for the door.

Cassie turned off the TV and locked the door before heading down the hall to her own room. She stopped at Sam's door and listened. She could faintly hear the woman crying on the other side._ I wonder what happened._

XXX

Sam closed her bedroom door and leaned against it. She began to cry and slowly slipped to the floor. She then buried her face in her hands and let the tears finally come. _Why am I so upset? Is Daniel right, do I love the Colonel? God, what am I going to do? I've tried everything. There has to be something I missed._

After the tears began to die down she got up and walked to her dresser to get her pajamas. She looked at a picture sitting on top of it and picked it up. In a metal frame surrounded by stars was a photo of the team. It had been taken just before Daniel died. They were on another planet somewhere in front of a Goa'uld cargo ship. Colonel O'Neill casually had his arm draped over her shoulders while hers was equally casually draped across his back. Next to Sam stood Daniel smiling their arms around the others waist, and Teal'c on the end next to O'Neill looked stoic as ever. She quickly replaced the picture on the dresser and grabbed her pajamas.

Then Sam headed to her bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. The bathroom mirror seemed to mock her reflection. _I look awful. I guess that's what I get for not sleeping in over a week._ She turned off the light and got into bed not even bothering to set her alarm. As soon as her head hit the pillow Sam was out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Sam woke up feeling refreshed

The next morning Sam woke up feeling refreshed. She came out of her room smiling and ready to go back to work.

"Sam, you all right?" Daniel said from the living room.

"Yeah fine. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I thought I'd come by and check on you."

Sam opened a cabinet and got out an insulated coffee cup. She filled it with coffee.

"I have to go. I thought of something last night that I haven't tried yet. I think it will work." With that she headed out the door and to her car before anyone could protest.

She spent several hours in her lab fiddling with her machines and adding things to the power source. Finally she was done. She flicked a switch on the side of the device and it came to life with a low hum. Satisfied, and not wanting to waste any of the energy, she flicked it off and reached for her phone.

"Dr. Weir this Major Carter, I got the device to work."

"You sure?" the other woman asked.

"Positive."

XXX

An hour later Sam, Teal'c, Daniel, and Dr. Weir were sitting in the debriefing room discussing a rescue mission.

"Major, I'm sorry, I can't authorize the mission right now. We just received a message that the Goa'uld wish to arrange a treaty with us and I need SG-1 here."

"This might be our only way of saving Col. O'Neill, we can't just leave him down there!"  
Sam argued.

"Could not Daniel Jackson stay to help with the treaty while Major Carter and I go to the Asgaurd homeworld?" Teal'c suggested.

Dr. Weir seemed to weigh this option in her mind for a moment, "All right. The two of you can go. But if they can't help, I want you coming straight home."

"Yes ma'am."

XXX

Carter and Teal'c stepped through the gate into an Asgard city on Orilla. It was a bustle

with Asgards running around preparing for something. One approached them.

"Major Carter, Teal'c, it is an honor to see you again, but I'm afraid you have come at a bad time."

"Heimdall, we need to speak to Thor immediately," Sam said.

"I'm afraid his ship is scheduled to leave in a few minutes for Halla. The Replicators there found a way to counter-act the time dilation device."

"Is there any way to contact him? Col. O'Neill's life is at stake." Heimdall considered and led them to a communication device. She moved the crystals around and Thor appeared on the screen. They spoke in Asgard for a few moments before Thor addressed Sam and Teal'c.

"What can I do for you Major Carter?"

"Col. O'Neill had the library of the Ancients downloaded into his brain again so we could find Atlantis and defeat Anubis. He led us to an outpost in Antarctica, that we fist thought was Atlanis. He fired a weapon left behind by the Ancients and we were able to defeat Anubis's ships. But he had to put himself in a stasis chamber there until we could contact you to revive him and get the information out of his head. It's been over a month and you haven't responded to our attempts to contact you."

"I am glad that Earth is safe and I am sorry for what has happened to O'Neill, but I cannot help you now."

"He's your friend!"

"I'm sorry Major Carter, but now that the Replicators have broken free of the time dilation device we have been preparing for war with them. After I go to Halla I can visit Earth and save Col. O'Neill."

Sam sighed; this wasn't what she wanted to here right now.

"Would it be possible for us to accompany you?" Teal'c asked.

"Of course, in fact I could use yours and Major Carter's assistance on this mission." There was a flash of blue-ish white light and they were gone.

XXX

Several Days later

"Welcome home SG-1," they were greeted by Dr. Weir after they were beamed down to earth from the _Daniel Jackson_. "Why don't you all get cleaned up and we'll debrief in an hour." She instructed them and then headed back to her office to make a call to the president and General Hammond.

After they were all cleaned up and all the calls were made, they met in the debriefing room overlooking the Stargate.

"Well Colonel, welcome back to the land of the living," Dr. Weir said as she sat down.

"More like the world of the warm Colonel O'Neill retorted with an involuntary shiver.

"Back to your old self already, huh Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Of course."

"Good, then I can put SG-1 back on the missions rotation.

"Not so fast. I'm retired."

"Jack you retired years ago, the Air Force just keeps calling you back," Daniel told him as if he had forgotten.

"I think he meant on the way to Proclaruse Taonas," Sam spoke for the first time.

"Exactly! Since General Hammond gave Carter permission to take over the team when I went nuts I told her I retired so she wouldn't have to wait," O'Neill answered.

"Oh, well I'll talk to the president and I am sure we can get that taken care of. In the mean time, I have some excellent news for you, Major Carter," Weir told the group.

"Because of your dedication to your team and the SGC you are being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Once Colonel O'Neill's retirement is processed, you will be able to lead SG-1 with the appropriate rank."

"Thank you," Sam said in state of shock.

"It wasn't my decision. Apparently Colonel O'Neill recommended you for a promotion before you left for Proclaruse Taonas and the president and General Hammond agreed. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll get started on those calls for you, Colonel O'Neill." With that she got up and went back to her office.

XXX

That evening the team sat around Jack's family room in front of the television. They had spent the day celebrating Sam's promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and Jack's retirement by watching a marathon of _The Simpsons._

"Man, am I tired," Daniel groaned.

"Shall we retire then," Teal'c suggested.

"Yeah Teal'c, I'll take you back to base," Daniel said wearily as he got up.

"Good night O'Neill, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said as he bowed.

"Good night Teal'c," Carter said from her seat on the couch.

When they had left Jack and Sam started to clean up the house. They collected the various fast-food containers and beer and soda bottles and took them to the kitchen. As he passed the stereo Jack turned on the radio.

"You don't have to help Carter."

"I know sir."

"Oh for cryin' out loud! I'm retired, it's Jack."

"Right…Jack. But you did call me Carter, not Sam." Jack threw up his hands in defeat and turned to leave the room as the beginning cords of Lonestar's "Amazed" began to play on the radio. "This is my favorite song."

"Do you want to dance?" he asked as he turned back around.

Sam stared at him a moment before answering, "Sure." Sam quietly walked over to Jack. He took her hand in his and put the other on her waist and they began to dance.

Every time our eyes meet  
This feeling inside me  
Is almost more than I can take  
Baby when you touch me  
I can feel how much you love me  
And it just blows me away  
I've never been this close to anyone or anything  
I can hear your thoughts  
I can see your dreams

As the song went along they swayed to the music. Sam looked up at Jack for a moment and their eyes met. Sam looked away almost immediately as tears began to fall.

_I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I want to spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Baby, I'm amazed by you_

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack asked concerned.

"I thought I was going to lose you."

"Sam, you'll never lose me," he said as he leaned down and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck as she deepened the kiss.

_The smell of your skin  
The taste of your kiss  
The way you whisper in the dark  
Your hair all around me  
Baby you surround me  
You touch every place in my heart  
Oh, it feels like the first time, every time  
I want to spend the whole night in your eyes  
_

After a while they slowly made it to Jack's bedroom where they finally consummated their love for one another.


End file.
